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Vegan pet food triggers meaty debate

Dan Nancarrow

Sandy Anderson with her cat, who is inspecting a bowl of vegan pet food, Photo: Ken Irwin

Vets have advised against non-meat and non-dairy diets for domestic pets despite the increasing popularity of a vegan product designed to cover cats' and dogs' dietary needs.

Vegan Pet was developed by a Victorian health food maker to include the essential nutrients cats and dogs would miss out on in a vegan diet.

Derived from entirely non-dairy and non-meat sources and designed with the help of a Murdoch University professor, studies have shown it can provide the short-term dietary needs of domestic pets.

Part of the Veganpet range.

It is sold in Queensland at the ethical alternative pet food store Complete Pet Company in Keperra. Owner and operator Jenny Golsby says vegan and vegetarian pet foods are becoming more popular as pet owners search out ethical alternatives to mainstream pet food.

"So what I did then, for their good, was try and find out whether you can have vegan cat food [with the proper nutrients]."

Ms Anderson developed the products with the help of Nick Costa, head of biochemistry and nutrition at Murdoch University's School of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, ensuring the food met the needs for complete and balanced diet, according to the dietary requirements tabled by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

The food passed tests for short-term effects, palpability and digestibility.

Concerned with the quality of pet food sold by mainstream distributors, Ms Anderson said the proof of the food's suitability for animals was in their reaction to it.

"Some animals have been on it for eight or nine years and they are still thriving on it," she said.

"People say that cats are carnivore and they should be fed meat, which they should.

"But my theory is if you can feed an equivalent that the cat enjoys equally and it supplies everyone of those nutrients in the meat source, what harm is being done?"

Professor Costa said long-term studies needed to be conducted on the product and he personally believed a meat diet was preferable for cats.

But he said the product was a viable alternative for people wanting to feed their animal a vegan diet.

"What it does do, through Sandy's efforts, is for those people who are vegans, and who eschew red meat completely, and meat products generally, then this gives them an alternative that has complete and balanced nutrient profile that has been partially tested in terms of digestibility and palatability," Professor Costa said.

"What it hasn't been tested for is long-term trials, where you can see if it is affecting reproduction long term, heart function long term, through taurine, or whether it is affecting visual processes long term.

"But in support of the food it has been going a decade and if those systems were problematic Sandy would have heard from people who had been suing it by now."

Dr Neck believes there is another solution for animal lovers keen to feed their animals a vegan diet.

"If you're a vegan, and you have ethical concerns about feeding animal-derived protein to your pet, well I could probably recommend a rabbit or a guinea pig as a pet, that you can source their nutrients from," he said.

"Rather than make ethical choices for an animal."

43 comments so far

Any animal that has canine teeth (including us) is designed to eat meat as part of a balanced diet. On the other hand, if you have a mouth full of molars, then a vegan diet is fine for you. Cats especially have evolved over millennia to synthesise certain nutrients from a diet rich in meat (they have the ability to produce their own vitamin c, amongst other things)

Albinus - horses have canine teeth too but last time I checked they were herbivores.

Commenter

Amber

Date and time

May 03, 2012, 8:03AM

As far as I'm concerned, dogs and cats are animals which have traditionally had a diet high in meat protein. I personally argue this case for humans as well, as we have traditionally had a meat component in our diets as well.

While it's all well and good for people to pursue a vegan lifestyle if they wish to, people who get these animals as pets need to realise that they require meat in their diets, which is how nature designed them to be. Forcing animals that eat meat onto a vegan pet food I feel is practically a form of animal abuse, and fear it will lead to medical issues for the pets long term.

Commenter

The Realistic

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

May 02, 2012, 8:24AM

The (un) Realistic,There is no "wild" counter part to dogs. Humans have inbreed them for thousands if not tens of thousands of years, cats are very much stunted in growth from their "wild" counter parts and also do not exist in the wild. They have been bred to be our lap/servant animals ...therefore any diet we choose to feed them that doesn't cause harm is ok

Commenter

Cassman

Date and time

May 02, 2012, 8:46PM

Is it still illegal to have a rabbit as a pet in Queensland?

Commenter

What's up doc

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

May 02, 2012, 8:46AM

Yes, but there are wild hares around. I've seen some out around the bushland in Coomera and bushland near the Ormeau Hills.

I do see your point Bugs bunny: Rabbits only eat vegetables so they wouldn't need vegan pet food products. :)

Commenter

Zac

Location

McDowall

Date and time

May 02, 2012, 1:09PM

Yep, sure is. Sadly the cute fluffy bunnies aren't an issue, it's the European wild rabbit that causes problems (I've lost count how many dents in the car are due to them)

Noone is forcing their animals to eat this Marc. And if you think offering them a healthy and balanced diet that happens not to contain meat and that they enjoy as much as they would any food is animal cruelty, youve clearly never worked in any kind of animal welfare environment. You have no idea what animal cruelty is.